Remember the Affordable Connectivity Program, which expanded broadband reach? The Affordable Connectivity Program has successfully reached more than twice the number of families compared to the Lifeline program, with a participation rate of approximately 43 percent. The Lifeline Program is a federal government program run by the FCC to help low-income households afford phone or internet service by providing a monthly discount on the cost of these services. This significant increase can be attributed to effective outreach strategies and strong partnerships among internet service providers, local governments, and community organizations. A report from Georgetown University revealed that large internet providers and county governments played a crucial role in boosting sign-ups, while community-based initiatives were instrumental in connecting individuals to the program. For instance, Heartland Forward reported helping over 100,000 people enroll in the program through various outreach efforts, including partnerships with Latino advocacy groups that improved access to information.
Why do we care?
So here’s the deal—the Affordable Connectivity Program has signed up more than twice the families the old Lifeline program ever did, and participation’s up around 43 percent. Why? Because ISPs and local governments actually partnered with community groups to get people signed up. And that matters for us—more broadband means more people we can serve with IT services, apps, and security. But let’s not ignore the catch—this program lives on government funding, and this program didn’t make the cut. So a successful program was cut.
When you lower barriers and make it easy, adoption follows. MSPs can steal that playbook: work with local groups, chambers, nonprofits—help people get online and stay online. That’s how you grow your customer base.